This Is How You Remind Me
by raine dragon
Summary: A bakura/ryou song fic, Bakura beats up on Ryou until a chain of events causes him to relize just how much his light means to him. rating for blood, language, slash, and um...i think that's it.... R/B
1. Chapter 1

[Raine] yay! I finally got this done! I've been tossing the idea over in my head for quite a time now.

[Elanya] Raine doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh!, or how you remind me by nickel back.

[Raine] it's a shame.....

[Elanya] what is that noise????

[Raine] *holds up CD case for U.S. Yu-Gi-Oh! CD* (singing) It's time to duel...and there's no backing down...

[Elanya] .......

[Yami Bakura] oh Ra! Someone shut her up already!!

[Ryou] *duct-tapping Raine's mouth shut with Yugi's help* sorry about that everyone...

[Yugi] now, on with the story!

****

~Lyrics~

'Thoughts'

"Talking"

/Ryou to Bakura/

//Bakura to Ryou//

Bakura stretched his arms above his head, the silver moonlight illuminating the small room he stood in. he looked down at the small by that lay curled in a ball on the bed.

"Ryou" he whispered softly his voice no more than a shadow in the moonbeams. He watched as a cloud flitted across the moon casting little silver shadows dancing upon the sleeping boy's hair and face, making him seem even more ethereal. He looked so innocent, so beautiful,

****

~Never made it as a wise man~

"So weak" Bakura sighed.

He then sat down gently on the edge of the bed. He lifted his hand hesitantly and brushed Ryou's pale hair off of his face. He loved the gorgeous angel that lay here, although he was sure he would never be willing to admit to it, come hell or high water. His thoughts flickered back to the dream he had been having, the dream that had woken him up.

Flashback

He ran through the street, the wind rushing through his long pale hair, his feet stirring up small clouds of dust, as he clutched the slab of roast meat, still warm in his sand streaked hands. Turning quickly he darted behind a large building, his feat slapping the hard backed sand of the marketplace ground. He dashed quickly around a man selling dates and moving swiftly, lost himself in the crowed, walking not with one particular person, but seeming more like a child out with his mother, than a the thief he had just proved himself to be.

****

~I couldn't cut it as a poor man stealin'~

--And then the scene changed.... and he was there again, that fateful moment. He felt the pain again, as his soul was ripped from his body, a mind numbing, searing pain, that seemed to tear him to shreds, and weald him back together just to rip him apart again. And then, the darkness, the blackness of the inside of the ring.

End flashback

The dream had shaken him, he still wasn't sure what part of it hit him so hard, but it disturbed him, just a little, just enough to allow faint lines of worry crease his mask of the emotionless tomb robber. Ryou's soft sigh brought him back to reality, and he realized he had been stroking his hikari's hair. He pulled his hand back quickly, as if stung. His mind angry at his body's betrayal. Shaking his head briskly he looked down at Ryou again.

****

~Tired of livin' like a blind man~

"Definitely too weak" Bakura decided. He would just have to work harder to fix that problem.

The next morning Ryou woke up to his alarm clock blaring into the dark, emptiness of his bedroom. He pushed back the blanket and got out of bed. Yawning, he turned off his alarm clock and gathered the cloths he wanted to wear that day. He then went onto the bathroom to take his shower. He pulled off his pajama shirt and took a step closer to the large mirror above the sink. One of his pale fingers moved to trace a cut on his side, still only half healed. Wincing, he pulled his hand back and opened the cabinet be hind the mirror, pulling out some disinfectant and some bandages. Laying them on the counter next to the sink, he took half a step backwards and collided with something soft. His soft brown eyes flew open and his head shot up.

****

~I'm sick of sight without a sense of feelin'~

"Bakura!" he said quickly fear lacing his voice as he saw the murderous look on the fiends face in the mirror. Grabbing Ryou's shoulders roughly, Bakura spun the boy around to face him. Growling, Bakura slapped him hard across the face.

__

~And this is how you remind me~

****

~This is how you remind me~

****

~Of what I really am~

****

~This is how you remind me~

****

~Of what I really am~

"Pathetic" Bakura bit out as Ryou closed his eyes, waiting for the blows that followed. Again Bakura's hand met his cheek and then a fist connected with his stomach, causing him to crumple up and fall to the floor. Ryou felt a tear slip down his cheek. Bakura's eyes narrowed into tiny slits as he heard a soft sob from the boy on the floor. _'Oh, Ra, Ryou.... I'm sorry, so, so sorry'_

****

~It's not like you to say sorry~

"Are you crying" Bakura asked sneering. "Poor little baby" he bit the words out, kicking at Ryou's legs before disappearing into the ring.

/Weakling/ he whispered into Ryou's mind

/Pathetic excuse for a human being/

/You disgust me/

Ryou pulled himself up from the floor and limped over to the shower. He quickly showered, and then he dried himself and got dressed, leaving his shirt off. He then went to work bandaging the cut on his side that had ripped open again from his Yami's punch and was now bleeding down his side. The medicine on the bandage burned, but it numbed the pain a bit. Gently he pulled his shirt and sweater over his head and then pulled out a blow drier to dry his pale lavender-white hair. He dried it quickly and then he dug in the cabinet for some make up. He brushed his teeth quickly, and then he slowly and carefully covered the handprint on his pale skin. Ryou then walked out of the bathroom and into his kitchen, where he quickly make a sandwich for lunch and some toast for breakfast. He put an apple, a drink, some mini-pretzels and the sandwich in a paper lunch bag, and then holding the toast in his mouth, he grabbed a peach from the bowl on the counter, and put his lunch in his bag with his books, which he swung over his shoulder. 

Munching on his toast he started the trek to school. As he walked he noticed how beautiful a morning it was. The first pale pink cherry blossoms of spring were peeking out of the trees that lined the sidewalk; giving the city an almost fairy-tale look. Ryou walked in silence, trying his best not to let his limp show, no one needed to know. He bit into the fuzzy peach and closed his eyes enjoying the sweet taste. There were few things that his Yami allowed him to enjoy, so he treasured the sweet fruits, eating it slowly as he walked in the quiet of morning.

When he got to school he found that even with the delay his Yami had caused him, he was still half an hour early. He went to his classroom and set his bag down on the floor next to his chair and then he walked over to the window. Looking out he watched the sun send orange and pink hues dancing through the sky, dying the clouds a myriad of colors, like a million tropical butterflies. He watched as Yugi came bouncing into view, Jou hot on his trail trying to take something out of Yugi's hands. Sighing he went over to his desk and sat down, pulling a book out of his bag. He opened the book, taking up where he had left off, a childish bookmark with a chibi change of heart in a half-lit forest falling to rest on his desk. He let himself get lost within the words of the story. He became the characters, anguish welling up in his heart when IT captured Charles Wallace; together he and Meg felt pain at abandoning the small child. For a moment he was no longer Ryou who was beat by his Yami, he was free of it, racing against darkness and evil to save a child. Yugi's cheerful greeting cut through his thoughts and he lay down his well-read copy of "a wrinkle in time", replacing the cute bookmark and greeting his the cheerful boy.

"Good morning Bakura!!" Yugi burst out, light sparkling in his eyes.

"Hello Yugi"

"Are you ok? You look a little pale" Yugi asked, concern for his friend causing his brow to crease

****

~I was waiting for a different story~

"Oh, I'm fine, I just didn't get allot of sleep last night"

"Are you sure your ok?"

"Yes, yes, I'm fine" Ryou said waving his hand._ 'No I'm not'_

"Alright, if you're sure" Yugi started to turn away and walk back to his seat, then stopped abruptly "oh! Bakura, would you like to come over to my place after school? I'm having a few people over to duel and..."

/no/

//why?//

/I said no!/

"I...I don't think I can come"

"Oh...ok then..." Yugi walked away looking at the floor dejectedly

'Oh dear... I'm so sorry Yugi...'

****

~This time I was mistaken~

Ryou suffered through the school day, ignoring most of the death threats his Yami sent his way. When the bell rang he got up from his seat gathered up his books and started the long walk back home. He passed a group of friends chatting and laughing in the schoolyard, a small pang of sadness attacking his heart as he saw how happy they were. He held onto the handle of his bag a little tighter, his thought turning traitorous. _'No one really cares do they?' _he sighed as he walked along the sidewalk. _'Yugi does' _a small voice in his head reminded him. 

'He wouldn't have invited you if he didn't' 

'But I said no, he probably hates me now'

'Yugi doesn't seem the type to hate, now does he?'

'No'

'See'

'But, it doesn't matter, only one person matters'

'And I'm invisible to them'

'Just a stain in his world'

__

~For handing you a heart worth breaking~

He was about half way home when he saw that an entire section of the sidewalk and road had been closed off due to a chemical spill from an accident. Turning around he sighed as he started walking towards a more dangerous part of town, the only other way home, lying through a maze of back roads and always.

'I'm no more than a blight in his life'

'I ought to just die and get it over with'

'Maybe I will have finally done something to make him happy that way'

__

~I've been wrong, I've been down~

He passed a few drunks sitting on the side of the street; one man began making catcalls at the 'pretty school gal' that was passing. Ryou made a face his hair was long, and he was a bit effeminate, but he didn't think he looked **that** much like a girl...

****

~Been to the bottom of every bottle~

He tuned down another ally only to find himself staring right into the face of a tall man with a maniac grin.

"Well, well, well, what have we here"

Gasping, Ryou backed up, looking at the ground, hoping that the man would just let him pass without incident.

"What's a pretty little thing like you doing out here, hm?"

Ryou took another step backward, prepared to bolt, when he found himself bumping into something soft.

"Well now, a pale rose like you can't be going yet, can you?" the sot object, another man laughed out slipping an arm around Ryou's waist

****

~These five words in my head~

"No, he should stay a while"

Ryou was panicking, he didn't know what to do, his Yami, though cruel, wasn't half as scary as these two men, his Yami couldn't kill him, these men could.

/Yami!!!!!/

//what the hell do you want? I was sleeping... //

/please help me/ Ryou sobbed mentally to his darker half /please Yami/

Yami Bakura appeared next to Ryou fuming to see the man touching **his** hikari. Bakura growled low in his through lunging at the man who held Ryou captive. The man yelped in surprise as his head connected sharply with the brick of the building next to him, blood seeped from a gash in his skull and ran down the wall, pooling on the ground under the trashcan the man had landed on top of. The other man drew a knife from his belt and rushed towards Ryou, grabbing the weaker boy and drawing the knife across the pale arm he held tightly to. The knife then trailed across Ryou's back and around his shoulder to stop in front of Ryou's throat.

"You have two choices," the man laughed out at Bakura

"One you leave now with your life and he may live to see tomorrow" Bakura growled low in his throat.

"Or two, he dies and I have the pleasure of holding you captive"

****

~Scream "are we having fun yet?"~

Bakura looked at the man his eyes so dark they appeared black, murder clear in his face.

"Fool" he spit out.

Holding his hand up he banished the man's soul, laughing at the expression of fear on the man's face as the hand went limp and the knife fell. Bakura rushed forwards catching Ryou as his half dead form crumpled to the ground along with the body of his captor. Cradling the small bleeding body to his chest Bakura sat down on the ground, tearing bits off of his version of his lights coat to bandage the wounds that bled profusely, dying his hands crimson. Gently he cradled his light's body to his chest and started off towards home.

****

~Yet?, Yet?, Yet?, no no~

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Raine] *singing through the duct tape* I don't have a beta, I don't have a beta....... so if you find mistakes, don't kill me with rakes, 'cause I only catch some, and...Um...Bakura's dumb!

[Bakura] What did you say?!?!

[Raine] I needed something to rhyme with some, and I can't call Ryou dumb 'cause he's too kawaii

[Bakura] true...

[Raine] and Yami can kill me...thus him and Yugi are out of the picture...

[Bakura] and?

[Raine] err.....*hides behind Ryou* you wouldn't want to hurt me would you 'Kura?

[Bakura] baka

[Raine] I won't write anymore if I'm dead.....

[Bakura] Your point?

[Raine] *cries* I see how it is...fine be that way...see if I care!

TBC...


	2. Chapter 2

[Raine] I got a review! I got one!!! look Yami! it's a REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!

[Yami Raine] oooook....

[Raine] ah! I'm sooooooo happy!! dances around the room to the "top 101 songs off 2002" on DC101 (yes, like Washington DC, I live in Maryland U.S.A.) *singing* "I don't want to waste my time, become another casualty of society, I'll never fall in love become another victim o.."

[Yami Raine] they were asking for more..

[Raine] eeep! I have to write! byebyes Yami-chan!

[Yami Raine] when you come back.... you've gotten another one except it isn't showing up yet...and another....

[Raine] pops back in for a min.. log-out and see if you can read them.. it's weird with the update thing sometimes... 

[Yami Raine] sorry, it looks like you may just have to wait 'till tomorrow

[Raine] awww... that's a shame...

[Yami Raine] ooook, enough of this, you can't baby-sit the review box!!! write! write!

[Raine] fine..fine..

[Yami Raine] 4 reviews now... it's been up... less than 3 hours too!

[Raine] and the top song of 2002? it's: _In the end_ it's a bit depressing tho :'(

****

----last time_----_

Holding his hand up he banished the man's soul, laughing at the expression of fear on the man's face as the hand went limp and the knife fell. Bakura rushed forwards catching Ryou as his half dead form crumpled to the ground along with the body of his captor. Cradling the small bleeding body to his chest Bakura sat down on the ground, tearing bits off of his version of his lights coat to bandage the wounds that bled profusely, dying his hands crimson. Gently he cradled his light's body to his chest and started off towards home.

__

~Yet?, Yet?, Yet?, no no~

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yami Bakura passed down allies and through half a dozen neighborhoods, his worry for his light's life increasing with each and every step. Ryou was **still **bleeding, the crimson streams dying his clothing and skin. With a soft growl Bakura decided that desperate time called for desperate measures. Ryou's house was close to 3/4 of a mile away. The turtle game shop was less than a block away. The pharaoh's pet knew more about modern medical procedures than he did too... quickening his stride even faster that the almost impossibly fast pace he had been going at, Bakura half ran to the small game shop, flinging open the door and spotting the pharaoh and his pet with their little friends sitting around a table that was set up, playing duel monsters. 

Anzu dropped the can of soda she was holding, her eyes going wide as saucers, Joey and Yami caught up in their duel, didn't notice the entrance until Yugi cried out, running over to where Yami Bakura had sank to his knees in exhaustion, a still bleeding Ryou clutched close to his chest. 

"Ryou-kun!" Yugi cried out, panic, fear and pain filling his voice, pitching it higher than normal. 

"What have you done to him tomb-raider!" Yami thundered out, stalking across the room, more than ready to beat the life out of the exhausted snow haired boy. 

"Pharaoh, just shut the hell up..... It doesn't matter, just help Ryou!!!!!!!" Bakura managed to choke out while he gasped for breath. 

Jou, for once in an ever so rare flash of intelligence had called 911. And was now talking to the lady on the phone, as an ambulance made it's way from the domino city hospital. 

**_~It's not like you didn't know that~_**

"Someone put pressure on the cuts to try to stop the bleeding until the ambulance gets here!" Jou called from across the shop. Bakura had sat down pretzel style on the floor, with Ryou on his lap, refusing to put the small boy down. 

The whine of the siren met their ears as the ambulance pulled up in front of the game shop, two doctors in white coats dashed out of the back caring a stretcher. They dashed into the game shop as Anzu pointed them in the right direction. 

Bakura glared daggers at the two doctors, a soft growl issuing from the back of his throat as they doctors lifted Ryou gently from his arm onto the stretcher. Bakura stood up, following the doctors next to the stretcher. He began to take a step into the ambulance when the doctors hand on his shoulder stopped him. 

"I'm staying with him" Bakura bit out at the doctor, his brown eyes dark with pain, and his voice still hoarse with the effort of running. "I don't care who the hell you are, I am staying with him" Bakura's anger giving out to be replaced with horse fear and pain. The doctor looked at Bakura for a moment, then nodded. Bakura stood next to Ryou in the ambulance, his hand gently caressing his lights hair, the very act he had forbidden himself to indulge in the night before. It seemed ages ago to him. Ryou's eyes fluttered gently and his eyes opened to see a blurry Bakura. 

"'Kura?" Ryou whispered softy 

"Shhh, don't try to talk" the doctor warned Ryou 

He ignored her. 

"I love you 'Kura" Ryou whispered softly, lapsing back into unconsciousness. 

**_~I said I love you and I swear I still do~_**

Bakura looked down at his sleeping light _'I love you too, I love you too..'_

_----------------~*~----------------_

Ryou was sleeping, his pale form hooked up to various machines, which Bakura hoped were making him better... Bakura sat next to the hospital bed, watching his light's face as he dreamed. Boredom hit the tomb raider like 20 tons of bricks and he decided to return to his soul room. That's when he noticed the door to his hikari's room half open. Curious, he walked in the door to find the room empty. A small book was lying on his hikari's bed. As he picked the book up he noticed the title on the book, soft gold English text on the blue background. He heard Ryou's voice in his head, reading the words, startled he almost dropped the book, but curiosity got the better of him. He opened the book slowly to a spot near the middle. His hikari's soft voice floated out from in between the pages, 

**_~It must have been so bad~_**

"Dear diary, Yami-chan must hate me. I know it now. Today he beat me again. I still can feel the cold steel of the blade against my side. It's bleeding still, I came here so I wouldn't stain the house. He hates that. " 

**_~'Cause livin' with me must have damn near killed you~_**

"Diary tell me, why is it that I can't ever make him happy? Why is it that I can never do enough? I don't want to heal anymore diary. If I could, I think it would be very nice to just curl up and die. It wouldn't hurt anymore that way. But.... I can't do that, he would die too wouldn't he Diary? I think so...and I can't let that happen. I love him too much." 

**_~This is how you remind me~ _**

**_~Of what I really am~ _**

**_~This is how you remind me~ _**

**_~Of what I really am~ _**

Bakura listened as the voice trailed off, the entry ended. He lay the book back down on the bed, his heart throbbing with pain. He stood up from the bed and walked out of his light's soul room, fully intent on curling up in his bed and sleeping until the world started turning the right way again. He opened the door to his soul room, walking across the floor slowly, a few dark colored candles flickering into light with a wave of his hand. The sight that met his eyes caused him to stop short in surprise. There was Ryou, lying in his bed, clutching the sheets and blankets to his chest, his face buried into the blankets, drawling comfort from the soft scent. _'Oh, Ryou' _Bakura sighed his eyes softened by the sight before him _'what did I ever do to deserve you? I am so, so, so sorry, so very sorry' _Bakura leaned over the sleeping form, brushing the light colored hair out of his light's eyes. 

_**~It's not like you to say sorry~**_

****

~I was waiting for a different story~

~This time I was mistaken~

~For handing you a heart worth breaking~

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Raine] grr... it's only half the length of the other one, but hey it's out within 5 hours of the fist part. I'm sorry there is hardly anything here, I'll write more once I'm awake *yawn* Happy new year everyone, there will be more latter...maybe tomorrow. I'll get back to my yami/yugi fic too.... I got a little stuck.. sry ^_^;

_****_

*note* it's morning and I fixed a bunch of stuff I missed last night, I'm starting on some more too... I still have quite a bit of song left. ^_^


	3. Chapter 3

[Raine] ok! It's still less than 24 hours since I started typing up the fist couple of pages I wrote on paper a while ago...and... I'm working on Chapter 3!!! (I'm sooo proud of my self!!!!) hey! And they are re-playing the top 101 songs that they played last night this afternoon.. Yay! I get music while I work! *Singing* I..I feel so alive...so alive...for the very fist time...for he very fist time...and I think I could fly... 

[Yami Raine] you better keep writing this little one, don't get stuck! 

[Raine] I'll try not to! 

[Yami Raine] Raine doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh! If she did...she would probably die of happiness...and then ... she wouldn't be able to write...and I would have no light...even though she is an annoying onna 

[Raine] Yami R.! I told you, keep calling me an onna and I won't let you watch gundam wing any more! 

**--------------~*~--------------**

Now... to all my reviewers (at least the ones I had when I wrote this ^_^; I'm getting more as I write, so if you aren't here, wait 'till the next chapter, ok? ok!) thank you all soooo much! I totally love you guys. *Big teary eyes* you guys said such nice things! You all give me the motivation to keep writing, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. 

to lilkraziegrl: okie dokies, here some more for ya! 

to Yami Tsuki Tenshi: thank you! *eeps* no! not a chibi ryou...don't you people know I can't say no to a chibi ryou? *sigh* of course I'll write ya more ^_^ thank you so much ^______^ I went to bed for a bit, and now I'm back with some more...maybe I'll make less mistakes since I'm more awake now ^_~ 

to white-silver : yeppers! Thanks so much for the review! 

to Dark Lady Setsuna: how soon is soon? ^_~ I'm updating right now ^_^ 

to IrishJade: I know...it was getting to me how well it worked...other wise, I wouldn't have started this while I'm in the middle of another Yu-Gi-Oh! fic... and thank you for the compliment! 

to loanshark: thank you! here's some more for you! 

to Gin Ryu-chan: *eyes get big as saucers* you really liked it all that much? oh thank you, thank you, thank you!!! 

to i love bakura (and yami i love bakura): thank you so much ^____^ here is some more for ya! 

to Ryouluver4evr: thank you so much! I do feel bad hurting poor 'lil Ryou tho :'( he's just too kawaii to hurt...

to Promise : Thank you sooo much ^___^

to bakurasgirl: no need to beg, I love writing this!

to ShannaraGirl: have I heard of Stone Sour? Yeppers! I've heard a few of their songs on the radio, and so far I like them ^___^

to dilanda: I know what you mean, I love reading them too ^_^; it's kinda weird to be writing one tho, after reading soooo many! 

**--------------~*~--------------**

_'Thoughts'_

"Talking" 

/Ryou to Bakura/ 

//Bakura to Ryou// 

{Yugi to Yami Yugi} 

{{Yami Yugi to Yugi}} 

**--------------~*~--------------**

Bakura woke up to find he had fallen asleep in his soul room, sitting on the floor with his head on the bed. He got up and stretched muttering a string of Egyptian curses at the pain in his back. _'What possessed me to sleep like that?' _Bakura shook his head to clear it then, giving one last glance to Ryou's angelic form still asleep on his bed, departed from his soul room for the real world, desperately hoping that there would be no doctors awaiting him. 

Instead of a doctor, he managed to find Yami Yugi, whom he just happened to have the luck of bumping into as he materialized. He gave the pharaoh a cold stare. Yami Yugi glared back. 

"I think it is more than time you explained, just what the hell happened to him, tomb robber" yam's eyes narrowing even more at the fiend before him. 

"This time, it is not my fault Pharaoh" Bakura said, eyes blazing with anger. 

"Then who's is it? Ryou's?" Yami thundered back 'causing Bakura to bristle. 

**_~I've been wrong, I've been down~_**

"He was attacked coming home from school by some idiot" Bakura practically screamed, "who's soul is now a happy member of the shadow realm" his voice dropping to a dangerously insane calm near the end. "The idiot's friend has either been dragged off, or had emptied the contents of his veins onto the pavement, I would expect the latter, which he more than deserves for touching. My. Hikari.!!!_"_

Yugi's eyes widened slightly at the possessiveness of Yami Bakura's words. He looked back and forth between the bed and the fiend a few times, hope shining in his eyes. Only to be extinguished as Bakura pushed past him and Yami, heading towards the door. 

"Where you going" Yami asked, still slightly awed by the white-haired spirit's speech. 

"Does it matter?" Bakura sneered, stalking out of the door of the hospital room. 

{Will he be ok?} 

{{Ryou will get better, you heard the doctor this morning Aibou}} 

{Not Ryou, Bakura...} 

{{Him? why wouldn't he be, he's been ok for over 5,000 years, why should things change now?}} 

{I..I don't know, I just thought maybe..I don't know perhaps he's changed?} 

{{Changed? how so little one?}} 

{He saved Ryou} 

{{He saved his own skin}} 

{He seemed concerned for Ryou, though, he stayed here all night} 

{{He was in his soul room, it was convenient}} 

{...I guess so} 

{{Why are you so convinced that he is different Aibou?}} 

{I...I don't know, I just thought that maybe...} 

{{Not every one can love everyone like you do little one, people just don't seem to be capable of it}} 

{All the more reason for me to hope ^_^} 

Yami Yugi just smiled at his light who had sat down in a chair next to the bed, to await Ryou's waking up. 

_'Oh Yugi...tell me what will happen when you grow up, how much pain can one person take, will you be able to take it, can you live in this world? I will protect you little one, I will protect your love.'_

**--------------~*~--------------**

Bakura walked down the street towards that bar, chocolate eyes full of anger, confusion and pain. He swiped at his pale hair as the morning wind blew it into his eyes. Growling softly as the wind continued to make the pale strands dace about his face, Bakura rounded the corner to find the bar closed. Muttering more Egyptian curses he continued walking down the street heading towards Ryou's house where, if he remembered correctly, he still had some beer... somewhere... he opened the door to Ryou's home, and closed the door behind him, walking first to Ryou's room to search for some clean cloths, as his were still covered in blood. The house had a cool, unlived in feeling to it, yet, it seemed very much like home to Bakura. He tossed these thoughts aside as he dug through Ryou's closet _'weak. Wanting a home like that is weak, I can live where ever, home is place, a word for the weak'_

_'Ryou is weak' _his mind reminded him 

_'Pathetically so' _he replied to it 

_'You like him though' _

_'He is too weak'_

Bakura pulled on some clean jeans and a dark green shirt, deciding that he was going to have to take Ryou shopping sometime soon, these cloths just didn't cut it.... he walked passed the bathroom, the bandages were still sitting there on the counter where Ryou had left them in the rush to get ready for school. Frowning Bakura walked into the kitchen and pulled out his hidden beer, going with the age old tradition of 'if I can't do anything about it, I might as well get drunk' (A/N: I don't suggest drinking. it doesn't solve your problems) 

He remembered now how much he hated bottles as he struggled to open the top, Egyptian curses coloring his efforts. Finally he managed to get the top off and taking a long drink sat down to his thoughts. 

_'He wanted to die'_

_'I pushed him to thoughts of suicide'_

_'What was I thinking?'_

_'I just wanted to protect him, Goddamnit'_

_'I wanted him to be stronger, so no-one could hurt him'_

_'Is that so horribly wrong?'_

"Well is it!" He yelled at the kitchen cabinets, a tear slipping from his dark eyes and falling to land upon his lap. Bakura brought a shaking hand up to touch his face, the sight of the tears fascinating him. 

_'Am I really so weak, that I would cry?'_

_'He's alive, it's not like he died or anything'_

**_~Been to the bottom of every bottle~_**

**_~These five words in my head~_**

**_~Scream "are we having fun yet?"~_**

**_~Yet?, Yet?, Yet?, no no~_**

He finished off the bottle, feeling even worse than before. 

_'So why the hell am I crying?!?!'_

Wiping furiously at his tears. He fought to drive them away. Trying to, by sheer force of will, stop the torrents of water that flowed across his cheeks, leaving dark spots on his shirt and jeans. 

_' I vowed not to cry again, ever!!'_

**_~Never made it as a wise man~_**

**_~I couldn't cut it as a poor man stealin'~_**

_'Never again! My tears were only for her, my dear, dear mother.'_

_'I vowed never to cry again after she was gone! Never again!!!'_

"Never again!" Bakura choked out. Wrapping his arms about his knees like a small child, as sobs wracked his body. 

_'I vowed never to care again, never to love, so I would never have to cry'_

_'So why does it hurt so much when I tell my self to stop caring?'_

_'Why can't I just let go of him?'_

_'Why?'_

"Why?!?!" Bakura's hoarse scream echoed through out the empty house. And then, he gave in, sobbing into his hands. Crying for all the pain he had given to Ryou, for all the pain his father had given him. For the loneliness of 5,000 years, for the emptiness he had nurtured in his heart all these years, and for the small boy he left in the hospital, the one thing that he now knew he would gladly give up his life for. 

**_~And this is how you remind me~_**

**_~This is how you remind me~_**

**_~Of what I really am~_**

**_~This is how you remind me~_**

**_~Of what I really am~_**

_-------------~*~-------------_

Latter that evening and back at the hospital Ryou woke up in his Yami's Soul room. With a sigh, he returned to his physical body, opening his eyes to Yugi sitting in a chair next to the bed, a concerned look on his face. 

"Hey, how are you doing Ryou-kun?" Yugi asked in a soft voice. 

Ryou gave a weak smile "did you catch the number of the truck that hit me?" he asked softly, his eyes sparkling in amusement. Yugi giggled softly as Ryou sat up slowly, putting his weight on the arm that had escaped the damage of the blade. He was used to pain, his Yami had taught him how to cope with life even when he was wounded. _'I can do this' _moving slowly he brought his legs around so he was sitting on the bed with his legs dangling off the side. A small cart next to the bed held a cup of water, which he took in his good hand and drank appreciatively, the paper feeling in his mouth and throat receding. 

Yugi watched him carefully, as if he was afraid to look away, for fear that Ryou would manage to fall off of the bed or some such thing. Ryou smiled at Yugi. 

"I'm not that badly hurt" he said softly "I actually think I can manage walking and such if I need to" 

Yugi looked at the pale boy suspiciously "are you sure? Those cuts look rather painful and you lost allot of blood, you should probably stay in bed." 

"I'll be ok" Ryou said adding the best smile he could muster to the end of the statement 

"The Pharaoh's little lap dog is right" Bakura said from the doorway. He had taken a shower and looked his evil old self, though he was still grumpy from his earlier arguments with himself. 

{{Can I smack him?????}} 

{No, Yami... I think it's against the rules to hurt people in a hospital} 

{{..... It takes less time to get them to a doctor}} 

{...............We are leaving before you do something stupid} 

{{Fine be that way..... spoilsport}} 

Yugi slipped out of the door leaving the two snow-haired boys, who were so caught up in each other that they never noticed him disappear. 

Ryou looked at his Yami, sensing the remaining anger through their link. Bakura met his stare looking straight into his lighter half's eyes, only to find fear and confusion in those eyes, which quickly looked away. Sighing to himself, Bakura looked down at his shoes. 

//..I'm sorry Ryou// he whispered softly into his light's head. 

Ryou's eyes widened his head coming up to look his Yami in the eye; surprised by the pain he saw swimming in the other's brown eyes. 

**_~It's not like you to say sorry~_**

**_~I was waiting for a different story~_**

//Ryou, I...I just wanted to protect you. I love you. Can you ever forgive me?// Bakura looked back down at his shoes, afraid of what Ryou would say, afraid of the answer that anyone would give under these circumstances. 

**_~This time I was mistaken~_**

**_~For handing you a heart worth breaking~_**

**_~I've been wrong, I've been down~_**

**_~Been to the bottom of every bottle~_**

But Ryou wasn't anyone...he was Ryou, and his heart knew how to forgive, how to love, better than many other people's ever could. 

"I forgive you" Ryou whispered softly. Slowly standing and taking a few wobbly steps towards Bakura. Bakura noticing his light's weakness, and the length of the IV cord, moved forwards to support Ryou with his arm, only to find Ryou embracing him tightly. "And I love you too Yami-chan" Ryou whispered softly, a few tears rolling down his cheeks. Bakura smiled gently at Ryou, brushing away the tears softly with the pad of his thumb. Slowly, Bakura leaned towards Ryou, capturing his lips in a soft kiss before putting his arms around his light, holding his close to his chest, taking comfort in the embrace, in the beating of their two hearts, both slightly pained, both a little confused, but they were together, and that was all that mattered. 

**_~These five words in my head~_**

**_~Scream "are we having fun yet?"~_**

**_~Yet?, Yet?, Yet?, no no ~_**

_----------------------------------~*~----------------------------------_

[Raine] well...that's a wrap 

[Yami Bakura/Ryou] No more? 

[Raine] do you want a sequel? We will just have to see what the readers think, if they want more, I'll write a sequel. Ok? 

[Raine] ok! It's still less than 24 hours since I started typing up the fist couple of pages I wrote on paper a while ago...and... I'm working on Chapter 3!!! (I'm sooo proud of my self!!!!) hey! And they are re-playing the top 101 songs that they played last night this afternoon.. Yay! I get music while I work! *Singing* I..I feel so alive...so alive...for the very fist time...for he very fist time...and I think I could fly... 

[Yami Raine] you better keep writing this little one, don't get stuck! 

[Raine] I'll try not to! 

[Yami Raine] Raine doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh! If she did...she would probably die of happiness...and then ... she wouldn't be able to write...and I would have no light...even though she is an annoying onna 

[Raine] Yami R.! I told you, keep calling me an onna and I won't let you watch gundam wing any more! 

**--------------~*~--------------**

Now... to all my reviewers (at least the ones I had when I wrote this ^_^; I'm getting more as I write, so if you aren't here, wait 'till the next chapter, ok? ok!) thank you all soooo much! I totally love you guys. *Big teary eyes* you guys said such nice things! You all give me the motivation to keep writing, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. 

to lilkraziegrl: okie dokies, here some more for ya! 

to Yami Tsuki Tenshi: thank you! *eeps* no! not a chibi ryou...don't you people know I can't say no to a chibi ryou? *sigh* of course I'll write ya more ^_^ thank you so much ^______^ I went to bed for a bit, and now I'm back with some more...maybe I'll make less mistakes since I'm more awake now ^_~ 

to white-silver : yeppers! Thanks so much for the review! 

to Dark Lady Setsuna: how soon is soon? ^_~ I'm updating right now ^_^ 

to IrishJade: I know...it was getting to me how well it worked...other wise, I wouldn't have started this while I'm in the middle of another Yu-Gi-Oh! fic... and thank you for the compliment! 

to loanshark: thank you! here's some more for you! 

to Gin Ryu-chan: *eyes get big as saucers* you really liked it all that much? oh thank you, thank you, thank you!!! 

to: i love bakura (and yami i love bakura): thank you so much ^____^ here is some more for ya! 

to Ryouluver4evr: thank you so much! I do feel bad hurting poor 'lil Ryou tho :'( he's just too kawaii to hurt... 

**--------------~*~--------------**

_'Thoughts'_

"Talking" 

/Ryou to Bakura/ 

//Bakura to Ryou// 

{Yugi to Yami Yugi} 

{{Yami Yugi to Yugi}} 

**--------------~*~--------------**

Bakura woke up to find he had fallen asleep in his soul room, sitting on the floor with his head on the bed. He got up and stretched muttering a string of Egyptian curses at the pain in his back. _'What possessed me to sleep like that?' _Bakura shook his head to clear it then, giving one last glance to Ryou's angelic form still asleep on his bed, departed from his soul room for the real world, desperately hoping that there would be no doctors awaiting him. 

Instead of a doctor, he managed to find Yami Yugi, whom he just happened to have the luck of bumping into as he materialized. He gave the pharaoh a cold stare. Yami Yugi glared back. 

"I think it is more than time you explained, just what the hell happened to him, tomb robber" yam's eyes narrowing even more at the fiend before him. 

"This time, it is not my fault Pharaoh" Bakura said, eyes blazing with anger. 

"Then who's is it? Ryou's?" Yami thundered back 'causing Bakura to bristle. 

**_~I've been wrong, I've been down~_**

"He was attacked coming home from school by some idiot" Bakura practically screamed, "who's soul is now a happy member of the shadow realm" his voice dropping to a dangerously insane calm near the end. "The idiot's friend has either been dragged off, or had emptied the contents of his veins onto the pavement, I would expect the latter, which he more than deserves for touching. My. Hikari.!!!_"_

Yugi's eyes widened slightly at the possessiveness of Yami Bakura's words. He looked back and forth between the bed and the fiend a few times, hope shining in his eyes. Only to be extinguished as Bakura pushed past him and Yami, heading towards the door. 

"Where you going" Yami asked, still slightly awed by the white-haired spirit's speech. 

"Does it matter?" Bakura sneered, stalking out of the door of the hospital room. 

{Will he be ok?} 

{{Ryou will get better, you heard the doctor this morning Aibou}} 

{Not Ryou, Bakura...} 

{{Him? why wouldn't he be, he's been ok for over 5,000 years, why should things change now?}} 

{I..I don't know, I just thought maybe..I don't know perhaps he's changed?} 

{{Changed? how so little one?}} 

{He saved Ryou} 

{{He saved his own skin}} 

{He seemed concerned for Ryou, though, he stayed here all night} 

{{He was in his soul room, it was convenient}} 

{...I guess so} 

{{Why are you so convinced that he is different Aibou?}} 

{I...I don't know, I just thought that maybe...} 

{{Not every one can love everyone like you do little one, people just don't seem to be capable of it}} 

{All the more reason for me to hope ^_^} 

Yami Yugi just smiled at his light who had sat down in a chair next to the bed, to await Ryou's waking up. 

_'Oh Yugi...tell me what will happen when you grow up, how much pain can one person take, will you be able to take it, can you live in this world? I will protect you little one, I will protect your love.'_

**--------------~*~--------------**

Bakura walked down the street towards that bar, chocolate eyes full of anger, confusion and pain. He swiped at his pale hair as the morning wind blew it into his eyes. Growling softly as the wind continued to make the pale strands dace about his face, Bakura rounded the corner to find the bar closed. Muttering more Egyptian curses he continued walking down the street heading towards Ryou's house where, if he remembered correctly, he still had some beer... somewhere... he opened the door to Ryou's home, and closed the door behind him, walking first to Ryou's room to search for some clean cloths, as his were still covered in blood. The house had a cool, unlived in feeling to it, yet, it seemed very much like home to Bakura. He tossed these thoughts aside as he dug through Ryou's closet _'weak. Wanting a home like that is weak, I can live where ever, home is place, a word for the weak'_

_'Ryou is weak' _his mind reminded him 

_'Pathetically so' _he replied to it 

_'You like him though' _

_'He is too weak'_

Bakura pulled on some clean jeans and a dark green shirt, deciding that he was going to have to take Ryou shopping sometime soon, these cloths just didn't cut it.... he walked passed the bathroom, the bandages were still sitting there on the counter where Ryou had left them in the rush to get ready for school. Frowning Bakura walked into the kitchen and pulled out his hidden beer, going with the age old tradition of 'if I can't do anything about it, I might as well get drunk' (A/N: I don't suggest drinking. it doesn't solve your problems) 

He remembered now how much he hated bottles as he struggled to open the top, Egyptian curses coloring his efforts. Finally he managed to get the top off and taking a long drink sat down to his thoughts. 

_'He wanted to die'_

_'I pushed him to thoughts of suicide'_

_'What was I thinking?'_

_'I just wanted to protect him, Goddamnit'_

_'I wanted him to be stronger, so no-one could hurt him'_

_'Is that so horribly wrong?'_

"Well is it!" He yelled at the kitchen cabinets, a tear slipping from his dark eyes and falling to land upon his lap. Bakura brought a shaking hand up to touch his face, the sight of the tears fascinating him. 

_'Am I really so weak, that I would cry?'_

_'He's alive, it's not like he died or anything'_

**_~Been to the bottom of every bottle~_**

**_~These five words in my head~_**

**_~Scream "are we having fun yet?"~_**

**_~Yet?, Yet?, Yet?, no no~_**

He finished off the bottle, feeling even worse than before. 

_'So why the hell am I crying?!?!'_

Wiping furiously at his tears. He fought to drive them away. Trying to, by sheer force of will, stop the torrents of water that flowed across his cheeks, leaving dark spots on his shirt and jeans. 

_' I vowed not to cry again, ever!!'_

**_~Never made it as a wise man~_**

**_~I couldn't cut it as a poor man stealin'~_**

_'Never again! My tears were only for her, my dear, dear mother.'_

_'I vowed never to cry again after she was gone! Never again!!!'_

"Never again!" Bakura choked out. Wrapping his arms about his knees like a small child, as sobs wracked his body. 

_'I vowed never to care again, never to love, so I would never have to cry'_

_'So why does it hurt so much when I tell my self to stop caring?'_

_'Why can't I just let go of him?'_

_'Why?'_

"Why?!?!" Bakura's hoarse scream echoed through out the empty house. And then, he gave in, sobbing into his hands. Crying for all the pain he had given to Ryou, for all the pain his father had given him. For the loneliness of 5,000 years, for the emptiness he had nurtured in his heart all these years, and for the small boy he left in the hospital, the one thing that he now knew he would gladly give up his life for. 

**_~And this is how you remind me~_**

**_~This is how you remind me~_**

**_~Of what I really am~_**

**_~This is how you remind me~_**

**_~Of what I really am~_**

_-------------~*~-------------_

Latter that evening and back at the hospital Ryou woke up in his Yami's Soul room. With a sigh, he returned to his physical body, opening his eyes to Yugi sitting in a chair next to the bed, a concerned look on his face. 

"Hey, how are you doing Ryou-kun?" Yugi asked in a soft voice. 

Ryou gave a weak smile "did you catch the number of the truck that hit me?" he asked softly, his eyes sparkling in amusement. Yugi giggled softly as Ryou sat up slowly, putting his weight on the arm that had escaped the damage of the blade. He was used to pain, his Yami had taught him how to cope with life even when he was wounded. _'I can do this' _moving slowly he brought his legs around so he was sitting on the bed with his legs dangling off the side. A small cart next to the bed held a cup of water, which he took in his good hand and drank appreciatively, the paper feeling in his mouth and throat receding. 

Yugi watched him carefully, as if he was afraid to look away, for fear that Ryou would manage to fall off of the bed or some such thing. Ryou smiled at Yugi. 

"I'm not that badly hurt" he said softly "I actually think I can manage walking and such if I need to" 

Yugi looked at the pale boy suspiciously "are you sure? Those cuts look rather painful and you lost allot of blood, you should probably stay in bed." 

"I'll be ok" Ryou said adding the best smile he could muster to the end of the statement 

"The Pharaoh's little lap dog is right" Bakura said from the doorway. He had taken a shower and looked his evil old self, though he was still grumpy from his earlier arguments with himself. 

{{Can I smack him?????}} 

{No, Yami... I think it's against the rules to hurt people in a hospital} 

{{..... It takes less time to get them to a doctor}} 

{...............We are leaving before you do something stupid} 

{{Fine be that way..... spoilsport}} 

Yugi slipped out of the door leaving the two snow-haired boys, who were so caught up in each other that they never noticed him disappear. 

Ryou looked at his Yami, sensing the remaining anger through their link. Bakura met his stare looking straight into his lighter half's eyes, only to find fear and confusion in those eyes, which quickly looked away. Sighing to himself, Bakura looked down at his shoes. 

//..I'm sorry Ryou// he whispered softly into his light's head. 

Ryou's eyes widened his head coming up to look his Yami in the eye; surprised by the pain he saw swimming in the other's brown eyes. 

**_~It's not like you to say sorry~_**

**_~I was waiting for a different story~_**

//Ryou, I...I just wanted to protect you. I love you. Can you ever forgive me?// Bakura looked back down at his shoes, afraid of what Ryou would say, afraid of the answer that anyone would give under these circumstances. 

**_~This time I was mistaken~_**

**_~For handing you a heart worth breaking~_**

**_~I've been wrong, I've been down~_**

**_~Been to the bottom of every bottle~_**

But Ryou wasn't anyone...he was Ryou, and his heart knew how to forgive, how to love, better than many other people's ever could. 

"I forgive you" Ryou whispered softly. Slowly standing and taking a few wobbly steps towards Bakura. Bakura noticing his light's weakness, and the length of the IV cord, moved forwards to support Ryou with his arm, only to find Ryou embracing him tightly. "And I love you too Yami-chan" Ryou whispered softly, a few tears rolling down his cheeks. Bakura smiled gently at Ryou, brushing away the tears softly with the pad of his thumb. Slowly, Bakura leaned towards Ryou, capturing his lips in a soft kiss before putting his arms around his light, holding his close to his chest, taking comfort in the embrace, in the beating of their two hearts, both slightly pained, both a little confused, but they were together, and that was all that mattered. 

**_~These five words in my head~_**

**_~Scream "are we having fun yet?"~_**

**_~Yet?, Yet?, Yet?, no no ~_**

_----------------------------------~*~----------------------------------_

[Raine] well...that's a wrap 

[Yami Bakura/Ryou] No more? 

[Raine] do you want a sequel? We will just have to see what the readers think, if they want more, I'll write a sequel. Ok? 


End file.
